Šventosios 1-osios, 4-osios, 36-osios radimviečių ir jų aplinkos tyrinėjimai

LTŠventosios akmens amžiaus archeologinių radimviečią ir gyvenviečių kompleksasyra vienas žinomiausių ir plačiausiai tyrinėtų archeologijos objektų Lietuvoje, garsėjantis savo unikaliais radiniais. Šventosios archeologijos paminklus 1967-1995 m. tyrinėjo R. Ri-mantienė, jos tyrimą rezultatai išsamiai paskelbti (žr. R. Rimantienė, šventoji. Narvos kultūros gyvenvietės, V., 1979; R. Rimantienė, šventoji. Pamario kultūros gyvenvietės, V., 1980; R. Rimantienė, Šventosios 4-oji radimvietė, Lietuvos archeologija, V., 1996, t. 14, p. 5-79; R. Rimantienė,Alanens amffausžvejai prie Papio lagūnos, V., 2005). 1997-2005 m. Šventosios gyvenviečių tyrinėjimus tęsė V. Juodagalvis (žr. V. Juodagalvis, D. N. Simpson, Šventoji Revisited — the Joint Lithuanian-Norwegian Project, Lietuvos archeologija, V., 2000, t. 19, p. 139-152; ATL 2002 metais, V., 2005, p. 7-10; ATL 2003 metais, V., 2005, p. 10-15; ATL 2004 metais, V., 2006, p. 13-17; ATL 2005 metais, V., 2006, p. 9-12). Šventūsiossenovėsuvenvietė (A 1705) pagal saugomos teritorijos plotą, viršijantj 600 ha, yra didžiausias archeologijos objektas Lietuvoje. Sparti plėtra pajario regione neišvengiamai skverbiasi ir j šią saugomą teritoriją. 2006 m. Šventosios senovės gyvenvietėje buvo atliekami žvalgomieji archeologiniai tyrimai sklypuose, kuriuos žemės savininkai numato užstatyti. Pagrindinis tyrimų uždavinys buvo nustatyti, kur tiriamuose sklypuose yra išlikę kultūriniai sluoksniai, kuriuos būtina saugoti arba ištirti prieš statybos darbus. 2006 m. saugomos teritorijos ŠV dalyje žvalgyti trys tarpusavyje besiribojantys 1,33; 2,66 ir 8,27 ha dydžio sklypai, kurių bendras plotasbuvo 12,26 ha. Šiuose sklypuose buvo iškasti 653 šurfai ir 7 perkasos — bendras ištirtas plotas siekė 1597 m2. [...] [p. 35].

ENIn 2006 field evaluation was conducted in three plots with a total area of 12.26 ha in the NW part of the ancient Ðventoji settlement. In these plots, 653 test pits and 7 trenches were excavated, the total excavated area amounting to 1597 m2. The evaluated area completely cover the previously excavated Ðventoji 4th site and partially cover the 1st and 36th find spots. After reconstructing the relief of these localities, it was established that the Stone Age camps had been built on the right bank of the River Ðventoji. Several segments of the old bed’s bank, which are called Šventoji sites 1st–5th in scientific literature, had been excavated during earlier excavations. During the 2006 evaluation, it was established that the cultural layer on the bank of the old bed at the Ðventoji site 4th consists of a strip appropriately 25 m wide. The greater part of this strip has not been excavated. It was also established that the cultural layer from the Neolithic period runs along the bank from south of the previously investigated areas to the boundary of the evaluated area. Pottery, wooden, stone, and amber finds were found in the cultural layer. Several places, where amber was processed, were discovered on the bank of the old bed. In one of them, an area 128 m2 in size was excavated. In it were found 87 flints and many amber finds as well as several pot sherds and several stones. The remains of one fire place were discovered which allows one to state that people lived on the shore on a layer of dry gyttja when the water level had fallen.The cultural layer from the amber processing site has been badly disturbed by ploughing and other later agricultural activities. The composition of the finds sharply contrasts with the finds from the cultural layer in the old bed. This allows one to treat the amber processing site, which dates to 2200–1800 BC, as a separate episode in its settlement. Archaeological finds were also discovered in the old riverbed beside the Šventoji sites 1st and 36th. It should be stated that cultural layers from the Neolithic period, only a small part of which has been excavated, exist on the entire bank of Ðventoji’s riverbed. It is possible to expect to discover wooden finds in the river’s whole bed. Due to the unique conditions for the survival of archaeological material, the cultural layers of the Ðventoji sites have huge research value and must be preserved.